Vietnam Airlines named World's Best Culinary Airline at 2026 World Culinary Awards
Vietnam Airlines continues to enhance its inflight dining experience through personalized service and dishes inspired by Vietnamese culinary traditions
Vietnam Airlines has been named World's Best Culinary Airline 2026 at the World Culinary Awards, becoming the first Asian carrier to receive the recognition.
The airline earned the distinction ahead of international carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines.
The award recognizes Vietnam Airlines' investment in inflight dining as part of its goal to achieve five-star service standards by 2030.
Drawing on Vietnam's culinary heritage, the airline's menus feature regional specialities, locally sourced ingredients and contemporary cooking techniques.
Signature dishes include pho, Hue-style beef noodle soup, Quang-style noodles and Banh Mi Hoi An, prepared to maintain authentic flavours while accounting for changes in taste perception at altitude.
Vietnam Airlines works with its catering partners and cabin crew to maintain consistent food quality, serving temperatures and presentation across its flights.
The airline also showcases Vietnam's agricultural diversity through seasonal produce, including strawberries and plums from Son La, lychees from Luc Ngan, longan from Hung Yen and dragon fruit from Lam Dong.
During the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam Airlines and its affiliated catering companies used 2,260 tonnes of domestically grown fruits and vegetables, supporting local producers while bringing regional flavours onboard.
"This award is a proud milestone for Vietnam Airlines and a testament to our commitment to delivering an exceptional inflight dining experience," said Dang Anh Tuan, Executive Vice President, Vietnam Airlines.
"It also underscores the international appeal of Vietnamese cuisine and its potential to connect travellers with our country's cultural identity."
Vietnam Airlines showcases its culinary heritage with a selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes, highlighting the airline's commitment to authentic flavours and premium inflight dining
Beyond inflight dining, Vietnam Airlines promotes the country's culinary heritage through its Heritage magazine, inflight entertainment and other passenger communication channels, highlighting the origins of ingredients and the communities that produce them.
The initiative forms part of the airline's broader efforts to incorporate Vietnamese culture throughout the passenger journey, including its Lotus lounges, onboard products and flight attendants' traditional ao dai uniforms.
"As we work towards achieving five-star service standards by 2030, we remain focused on meeting the highest international standards while preserving the distinctive Vietnamese character that sets our service apart," Tuan said.
